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Making the best of Baxters grant is a piece of cake for Findochty café


By Alan Beresford

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A CASH boost handed to a local town hall is finally bearing fruit after a year and a half of pandemic restrictions.

Making the best of the new tables and chairs are (front from left) George McIntyre (Gordon and Ena Baxter Foundation interim chairman), Kay Jackson (trustee), Sandy Innes (Findochty Town Hall trustee), Pam Ross (secretary), Ron Dawson (treasurer) and Sarah Rollo (foundation manager). They are joined by some of the town hall volunteers. Picture: Daniel Forsyth
Making the best of the new tables and chairs are (front from left) George McIntyre (Gordon and Ena Baxter Foundation interim chairman), Kay Jackson (trustee), Sandy Innes (Findochty Town Hall trustee), Pam Ross (secretary), Ron Dawson (treasurer) and Sarah Rollo (foundation manager). They are joined by some of the town hall volunteers. Picture: Daniel Forsyth

The community-run Findochty town hall received a grant of £4000 last year from the Gordon and Ena Baxter Foundation which, along with match funding from their own coffers to the tune of £2500, was used to buy 22 tables and 180 chairs.

Intended for use primarily in the weekly pop-up café, the first lockdown slammed society shut before they had time to be used.

However, as life begins to edge towards some sort of greater normality, the foundation's interim chairman George McIntyre, the organisation's new manager Sarah Rollo and trustee Kay Jackson came along to see for themselves the difference the grant had made.

Among those welcoming them to the town hall was one of the trustees, Sandy Innes, along with secretary Pam Ross and treasurer Ron Dawson.

Mr Innes said: "We are very grateful for the grant from the Gordon and Ena Baxter Foundation, which we actually received and spent last year.

"In fact, the chairs and tables were delivered just before lockdown started in March and have lain in storage until things opened up again.

"They are all padded and so are a lot more comfortable than the plastic chairs which we previously used. These haven't gone to waste, though, and we've donated some to the Men's Shed and Methodist Church, as well as lending some to the Admiral's when you were only allowed to sit outside at pubs. The remaining chairs will also be used at the likes of the gala.

"We've also got some tables specially adapted for wheelchair users, which can be set up in the heritage room. Residents from Netherha care home come over to the pop-up café so these tables can come in very useful for some of them.

"The café reopened in August and has proved very popular. A lot of older residents like to come along and chat to their friends and we've got people coming from the surrounding area, too as well as visitors to Findochty."

Mr Innes added that usage of the hall in general was picking up with a wide variety of community groups beginning to resume their activities after lockdown.

Prior to reopening, the dedicated band of town hall volunteers were busy sprucing up the building, including redecorating the main hall.

Mr McIntyre and his colleagues were left delighted with what they had seen, describing the community-run hall as a"great success story".

He said: "We are so happy to be here today to enjoy the hall's improved amenities and to sample the much-lauded fancy pieces.

"When the town hall committee approached the Gordon and Ena Baxter Foundation for funding assistance, the strength of community support shone through, as did the willingness of local people to help out in whatever way they could.

"A whole range of exciting improvements and upgrades have taken place since this incredible asset was transferred to the community, and that is thanks to that hard work and dedication.

"It is a great success story – highlighted by the popularity of of gatherings such as this weekly pop-up café – and we are so pleased to be here today to help celebrate and look forward to seeing the hall go from strength to strength in the years to come."

The pop-up café runs on Thursdays from 2pm to 4pm and will close for the season in December.


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